The Wizard of Odds
by CheerfulChemist
Summary: This is strictly for some pre-halloween fun and I am messing with you. It starts the morning after Number One Fan. Please take it in the spirit it is given. This is a oneshot. You might think that is a mercy. Of course I own nothing. Have fun!


The Wizard of Odds

Richard Castle woke up in the bed of Beckett's apartment. It was magnificently quiet with no Martha or Alexis and especially no Pi. He rubbed at the bruise in the middle of his chest where Emma Briggs' bullet hat dotted the "i" on his vest. Beckett felt his movement and opened her eyes. Turning to look at him, she smiled. "How are you?" she asked.

"It hurts" Castle said, hoping a little sympathy might lead to something more interesting. Beckett leaned over and feathered kisses on the bruise.

"Better?" she asked.

Castle twined his fingers in her hair and pulled her lips toward his. "I think I need more therapy," he murmured.

Beckett's cell phone buzzed with her alarm tone. She sat up. "We need to get up, Castle. I need to go to the range and qualify to get a weapon."

Castle sighed in resignation. Beckett looked at him mischievously. "It will save time if we shower together.

"I doubt it," Castle said grinning, "but I'm willing to try."

Beckett and Castle both emptied guns at targets at the range, with very similar results. Both of them put all of their shots in the center ring. Beckett took her target and certification slip to Captain Gates to trade for a Sig Sauer. Castle just kept his target to needle Beckett the next time she questioned his marksmanship.

No sooner had Beckett finished in Gates' office than Esposito arrived with the news of a body. Castle, Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito went to the scene. Lainie met them. A large area had been secured and taped off by uniforms. A hot air balloon had crashed on Strawberry Fields, throwing the rider free and killing him. Witnesses had seen huge rents forming in the balloon, causing it to descend like a stone.

Beckett and Castle gloved up and examined the balloon. "Look at that," Castle said. "Clear tape. It looks like someone slashed the balloon and then taped it back together."

Beckett continued. "The balloon expanded as it rose, the tape came loose letting the air out and the balloon crashed. Either our guy was really stupid..."

"Or this is a murder," Castle finished.

Castle and Beckett joined Ryan and Esposito with Lainie at the body. "Do we know who this is?" Beckett asked.

"Burgess Green," Esposito replied. "The Wizard of Odds himself."

"Who?" Lainie asked.

Ryan answered. "The guy started out using computers to figure out who would win in sports. Then he went to the stock market, real estate, anything. He predicted the electoral college in the last election almost exactly. He figures the odds and bets. He wins a lot more than he loses and when he wins he wins big.

"Sounds like someone was a sore loser" Castle quipped, earning looks of disgust from Ryan and Esposito but a smile from Beckett.

"OK,"Beckett said. "Let's get everything we can on this guy."

At the precinct, Beckett, Castle, Esposito, and Ryan gathered around the murder board. The time of death had been easy to determine. There had been dozens of witnesses to the crash. The time the balloon was sabotaged would be more of a problem. The balloon had been stored in an unsecured hangar for a week before Green took off. Almost anyone could have had access during that time. Opportunity was pretty much off the table. They would have to depend on motive and means.

Esposito and Ryan went to interview Green's personal assistant Lila Larsen. Beckett and Castle took Copper Green his wife.

Lila sobbed quietly into a tissue. "Who would do such a thing?" she sniffed.

"We were hoping you could tell us," Esposito replied. "Can you think of anyone who would want to harm Mr. Green?"

Lila shook her head. "Everyone loved him. He was the most generous man on Earth. If anyone needed anything, he was always there."

Ryan handed her his card. "If you think of anything call, day or night."

Lila took the card and nodded, continuing to sniffle."

Castle found Copper Green surprising. Most of the millionaires he knew had pretty hot wives who worked at it. Copper might have been hot at one time, but she seemed to give it no effort whatsoever. She wore no make-up. Her hair was unstyled. Her dress was dowdy and she wore no jewelry. Mrs. Green," Beckett said, "I'm Detective Beckett and this is Mr. Castle. We are so sorry for your loss. I hate to disturb you at this time, but we have to ask you some questions."

"What do you need to know?" Copper asked.

"We need to know if you can think of anyone who might have wanted to hurt your husband," Beckett told her.

"When you are rich, someone always wants to hurt you," Copper said very matter-of-factually. "People get jealous. He got letters. Our lawyer has a file. I can't think of anyone who would want to kill him, though."

"We'll need your lawyer's contact information." Beckett told her.

Copper walked over to the computer, pushed a few keys and printed out a page. She handed it to Beckett.

"Mrs. Green, who would benefit from your husband's death?" Castle asked.

"Copper looked a bit taken aback." My lawyer can tell you that too, she said. "Now if you don't mind, I have arrangements to make."

Beckett and Castle left to go see the lawyer, Phillip Finch. He was a tall man with straw blond hair and almost no muscle tone. His arms and legs seemed almost floppy. His mind, however, was more like a steel trap. He had a threat file copied onto a flash drive and ready for them to take. He had put a copy of Green's will on the drive as well.

"You have to understand, Detective Beckett, that Burgess' will was a living document," Finch told them. "Burgess did not feel that he should have to die before helping the world. His wealth was distributed to various projects on a daily basis. The will was constantly updated." Beckett accepted the documents and thanked the lawyer.

Castle and Beckett returned to the precinct and met up with Ryan and Esposito. They divided up the documents to search for possible suspects. Monies were allocated to hundreds of charities. The people who stood to inherit the most from Green were his wife Copper and his sons Nick and Leo. Esposito and Ryan continued their research while Castle and Beckett went to interview Nick and Leo.

Nick was a tall barrel chested man. He moved stiffly and appeared to have been crying for some time. He held a handkerchief tightly grasped in one hand. His fiancee, Sparkle Burke clung to his arm.

"I can't imagine life without my father," Nick said, a sob rising in his throat.

"We'll all miss him so much, Sparkle told Beckett, her high voice cracking slightly. "He was so generous and loving, a real saint."

"Mr Green," Beckett said, can you think of anyone who might want your father dead?"

"Absolutely not!" Nick protested.

"All right," Beckett said, handing Nick her card, "call me if you think of anything at all."

Nick nodded and covered his eyes with his handkerchief. Sparkle cuddled closer to Nick.

Castle and Beckett left to see Leo Green. Leo was the complete opposite of his brother. There were no tears. He sat erect as if determined to be brave no matter what happened. "If I find out who did this I'll rip their heart out," he told them.

"I understand how you feel, Mr. Green. We will do our best to find justice for your father. Castle knew that Beckett meant every word of it. Beckett handed Leo her card and she and Castle returned to the precinct.

Esposito and Ryan had news. Burgess Green had set up his finances so that a large proportion of everything he earned each year would go to foundations to be given away. Properties that had been set aside for each son were gradually being sold off. As the years passed, there would be less and less for his wife and sons to inherit. His death would be better for all of them sooner rather than later, giving them all a strong motive. That was not the strangest piece of information. He had planned his own funeral and the instructions were very detailed. If they did not predecease him, Lila Larson, Copper Green, Sparkle Burke, Philip Finch, Nick Green and Leo Green were all required to attend – in costume.

"You can learn a lot at a funeral," Castle said, "remember Christian Dahl?"

Beckett slipped her arm through Castle's. "Care to accompany me to a funeral?" she asked.

Castle gave a little bow."I'd be delighted."

The funeral was held in the large auditorium at Green industries. The stage had been dressed to look as if it was made of glittering emeralds. The aisles were lined with red poppies. The back of the room was lined with trees in pots. Beckett and Castle went backstage to the green room. Lila Larsen wore a white blouse with a blue checked jumper, white knee socks, pigtails, and shiny red shoes. Copper Green wore a long black robe and a pointed black hat. Philip Finch wore a straw hat and a shirt and jeans. His shirt had bits of straw sticking out of it. Nick Green wore a shiny silver suit and Leo wore gold plush.

Sparkle's costume was the most elaborate, with a filmy hoop skirt, a crown, and a wand. She was upset because her skirt had caught on a nail and developed a long rip. "I need some tape," she yelled. Someone around here must have some tape. Lila sent an intern out to find some. Castle and Beckett watched Sparkle skillfully patch the tear in here dress so that it was almost invisible, especially at a distance. They turned toward each other simultaneously saying, "I know who the killer is!"

Castle and Beckett approached Sparkle. "You're really good with that tape," Beckett told her. "I never would have thought to do that, or done it as well as you did."

"I've always been handy," Sparkle said. "I'm always trying to fix things, like Burgess was."

"How did he do that?" Castle asked.

"He gave stuff away, money, buildings, even the ones that were supposed to go to Nick."

"Did that bother Nick?" Castle asked.

Sparkle snorted a little bit. "Bother Nick! No! He thought Burgess was the greatest guy who ever lived."

"But it bothered you," Beckett suggested. "A little, Sparkle said. "Nick deserves better than that."

"How did you know what Green was doing?" Beckett asked.

"My sister Carly is Phillip Finch's paralegal. She told me what Burgess was up to. Nick and I would have ended up with practically nothing."

Castle and Beckett looked at each other.

"Motive" said Castle.

"And means," Beckett added. "Sparkle Burke, you are under arrest for the murder of Burgess Green." Beckett cuffed Sparkle and recited the Miranda warning.

Sparkle shook her head in disgust. "After Nick and I were married for five years you know how many properties we'd have been left with? In toto two!"


End file.
